Welcome

It’s always daunting to fill the first article on a new blog, but I’m excited to be able to start this magazine for fellow green woodworkers.

Green woodwork is different from what’s come to be called traditional woodwork, even though it’s arguably an older discipline. We focus on making useful and beautiful objects by starting with the raw material – wood from trees. We can use wood’s properties to our advantage, as it changes as it dries.

Carving, for example, is much easier when the wood is relatively soft and wet. We can get our basic forms made, and most of the waste-wood removed before it becomes a chore. Greenwood furniture uses the shrinkage between green and drier wood to create incredibly strong joinery without glue, nails, or screws. By choosing to put drier tenons into green mortices, for example, drying locks the joint together.

We’ll talk about trees, tools, carving and turning. I get to introduce you to excellent craftspeople from across the world – sharing their stories and tricks.

So, welcome. I wish you well in your work.

two spoons carved in light-coloured wood
A brace of eating spoons from black birch

One Comment Add yours

  1. Thoughtful and engaging!

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